Watchcase



March 18, 1941. H. KOUSIN 2,235,157

WATCHCASE Filed Feb. 4, 1939 HA RA Y K 0 USl/V INVENTOR.

BY QM MW ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES ra'rsnr OFFICE- Application February 4, 1939, Serial No. 254,656

5 Claims.

My invention relates to watchcases and has particular reference to watchcases fitted with removable bezels.

In my Patent No. 2,062,891 and in patent appli- 5 cations Serial No. 85,862, filed June 18, 1936, and

Serial No. 72,298, filed April 2, 1936, I have already disclosed certain forms of removable bezels. My present invention has for its object to provide removable bezels which can be fitted over a watchcase without making any special annular grooves or recesses in the case, the bezel being held by resilient or yieldable locks at the opposite points of the bezel or of the case. My removable bezels represent ornamental rings fitted over the watchcase, and in this respect represent merely an ornamental addition to the watchcase, the latter being already fully assembled with its crystal. I make my bezels easily removable and replaceable with other 20 bezels of a similar type but having different ornamentation, so that the owner of the watch can impart different appearance to the watch to suit different occasions. My arrangement of providing replaceable bezels is suitable to all types of watches, and, more particularly, to ladies Wrist watches. By providing the watch with different bezels, it is possible to change its appearance so as to match differently colored gowns, or have a diamond studded bezel for formal wear, 30 for instance, and plain colored bezels for other occasions. The bezel may be attached to the watchcase by means of locking members fitted on the ears or lugs which are employed for attaching the watch to a wrist band or cord. The bezel can be easily placed in position or removed by releasing one or both locking members.

My invention is more fully described in the accompanying specification and drawings in which- 40 Fig. 1 is sectional elevational view of a Watchcase with my bezel;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

In an embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and .2, my bezel l in the form of a ring is placed on the 45' upper flange 2 of a watchcase 3 around a crystal 4 fitted in the flange 2. The flange may be of a convex shape as shown in which case the bezel is correspondingly shaped, this arrangement facilitating centering of the bezel. The case 3 50 is provided at the opposite portions with ears or lugs 5 and 6 for attaching a wrist band or cord (not shown). The ear 6 is undercut at the inner portion forming a recess 1 engaging a recessed edge 1 of the bezel. The other ear 5 is pro- 55 vided with a bore 8 for a locking plunger 9. The

latter has a reduced middle portion for a spring l9 resting against the enlarged inner portion of the plunger at one end and against a shoulder l l in the bore at the other end.

The spring thereby urges the plunger inward 5 against the bezel. A head l2 at the outer end of the plunger limits its inward movement and also serves as a handle for pulling the plunger out if it is desired to release the bezel. The inner end of the plunger has a tapering point 13 en- 0 I gaging a corresponding groove 14 in the edge of the bezel, the side of the bezel under the recess being also tapered so that the bezel can be snapped over the projecting end of the plunger for locking the bezel in position. The recess 1' and the groove [4 help to center the bezel when it is placed in position over the face of the watchcase.

It is understood that my watchcase may be modified without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A watchcase having lugs at its opposite portions for a wrist band or cord, a crystal in its face portion, and a marginal portion around the crystal comprising in combination a bezel fitted on the marginal portion around the crystal, at least one of the lugs having a bore, a plunger slidably fitted in the bore, the inner end of the plunger engaging the bezel, and means to yieldably retain the plunger in engagement with the bezel.

2. A watchcase having lugs at its opposite portions for a wrist band or cord, a crystal in its face portion, and a marginal portion around the crystal comprising in combination a bezel fitted on the marginal portion around the crystal, at least one of the lugs having a bore, a plunger slidably fitted in the bore, the inner end of the plunger engaging the bezel, and a spring urging the plunger against the bezel.

3. A watchcase having lugs at its opposite porticns for a wrist band or cord, a crystal in its face portion, and a marginal portion around the crystal comprising in combination a bezel fitted on the marginal portion around the crystal, means at one of the lugs for detachably engaging the edge of the bezel, a plunger slidably fitted in the other lug, the inner end of the plunger engaging the edge of the bezel, means to yieldably retain the plunger in engagement with the bezel, and a handle on the plunger for its manual operation.

4. A watchcase having lugs at its opposite portions for a wrist band or cord, a crystal in its face portion, and a marginal portion around the crystal comprising in combination a bezel fitted on the marginal portion around the crystal, at least one of the lugs having a bore, a plunger slldably fitted in the bore, the inner end of the plunger engaging the bezel, a spring urging the plunger against the bezel, the bezel having a recess for the end of the plunger, the end of the plunger having a tapered point for engaging the recess, the plunger being adapted to be moved outward by the pressure from the bezel when the bezel is being placed in position.

5. A watchcase having lugs at its opposite portions for a wrist band or cord, a crystal in its face portion, and a marginal portion around the crystal'comprising in combination a bezel fitted on the marginal portion around the crystal, means at one of the lugs for detachably engaging the edge of the bezel, a plunger slidably fitted in the other lug, the inner end of the plunger engaging the edge of the bezel, a spring urging the plunger inward against the bezel, and a 10 handle on the plunger for its manual operation.

HARRY KOUSIN. 

